Celebrating Sunshine Week 2014

by Leslie Haymon,
3/14/2014

Sunshine Week, the
annual celebration of government openness and transparency, will be held next
week, from March 16-22. Leading up to and during the week, events are held
nationwide to highlight transparency in government. There are legislative
hearings, film screenings, public discussions, editorials, reports published,
and awards recognizing those who have advanced government openness and
transparency.

About
Sunshine Week

In 2002, Florida
newspapers launched Sunshine Sunday as single day to highlight the importance
of government transparency. The event went nationwide and week-long in 2005
with the support of theAmerican Society of News Editors(ASNE). The week corresponds with
James Madison's birthday; Madison
is considered the Founder most committed to creating a government of checks and
balances. Good government organizations, including the Center for Effective
Government, partner with ASNE each year to present Sunshine Week.

The
Lead Up

This year, Congress is scheduled to be in recess during Sunshine
Week, so several events have already taken place. On Monday, March 10, the
Center for Effective Government released itsfirst scorecardgrading key federal agencies'
performance implementing the Freedom of Information Act. On March 11, the
Senate Judiciary Committee helda hearingon the Freedom of Information Act, and
Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Al Franken (D-MN) both referred to our scorecard
in their comments. On March 14, OpenTheGovernment.org and the Freedom Forum
hosted the National Freedom of Information Day conference.

Sunshine
Week 2014

There are still plenty
of events planned for next week. If you are able to attend them in person, they
are well worth your time. Here are some highlights:

Monday, March 17

The Justice Department will present aprogramat
its Washington
headquarters celebrating the progress made by federal agencies in FOIA
administration, as well as the fifth anniversary of the attorney general's FOIA
guidelines. The event is free and open to the public but registration is
required.

Tuesday, March 18

The Collaboration on Government Secrecy's (CGS) seventh annual
Freedom of Information Day Celebration will feature panel discussions to
explore current issues related to FOIA, including surveillance secrecy,
classification developments, and privacy. For more details, visit CGS'website.

Also on Tuesday, open government groups are hosting an evening
panel discussion from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the National Press Club entitled
"Partly Cloudy: Why 'Public Information' Doesn't Always = Accessible
Information." Admission is free, butregistrationis required.

Wednesday, March 19

The D.C. Open Government Coalition's third annual D.C. Open
Government Summit will focus on open government in neighborhoods and
communities. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the National Press Club. The
event is open to the public; registration and information are available on the
coalition'swebsite.

Thursday, March 20

The Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) will host a panel
discussion on lobbying disclosure, campaign finance disclosure, and dark money
at the American Bar Association in Washington,
D.C. The program will be held
from 2-5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Registration and
additional details are available via CRP'swebsite.

Friday, March 21

JFK Vigil will screen the filmJFK:
A President Betrayedat the
Goethe-Institute in Washington,
D.C. A discussion of the film
will be held following the screening. The suggested donation is $15, and
registration and additional information are availablehere.

aymon, 3/14/2014

Sunshine Week, the
annual celebration of government openness and transparency, will be held next
week, from March 16-22. Leading up to and during the week, events are held
nationwide to highlight transparency in government. There are legislative
hearings, film screenings, public discussions, editorials, reports published,
and awards recognizing those who have advanced government openness and
transparency.

About
Sunshine Week

In 2002, Florida
newspapers launched Sunshine Sunday as single day to highlight the importance
of government transparency. The event went nationwide and week-long in 2005
with the support of theAmerican Society of News Editors(ASNE). The week corresponds with James
Madison's birthday; Madison
is considered the Founder most committed to creating a government of checks and
balances. Good government organizations, including the Center for Effective
Government, partner with ASNE each year to present Sunshine Week.

The Lead
Up

This year, Congress is scheduled to be in recess during Sunshine
Week, so several events have already taken place. On Monday, March 10, the
Center for Effective Government released itsfirst scorecardgrading key federal agencies'
performance implementing the Freedom of Information Act. On March 11, the
Senate Judiciary Committee helda hearingon the Freedom of Information Act, and
Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Al Franken (D-MN) both referred to our scorecard
in their comments. On March 14, OpenTheGovernment.org and the Freedom Forum
hosted the National Freedom of Information Day conference.

Sunshine
Week 2014

There are still plenty
of events planned for next week. If you are able to attend them in person, they
are well worth your time. Here are some highlights:

Monday, March 17

The Justice Department will present aprogramat
its Washington
headquarters celebrating the progress made by federal agencies in FOIA
administration, as well as the fifth anniversary of the attorney general's FOIA
guidelines. The event is free and open to the public but registration is
required.

Tuesday, March 18

The Collaboration on Government Secrecy's (CGS) seventh annual
Freedom of Information Day Celebration will feature panel discussions to
explore current issues related to FOIA, including surveillance secrecy,
classification developments, and privacy. For more details, visit CGS'website.

Also on Tuesday, open government groups are hosting an evening
panel discussion from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the National Press Club entitled
"Partly Cloudy: Why 'Public Information' Doesn't Always = Accessible
Information." Admission is free, butregistrationis required.

Wednesday, March 19

The D.C. Open Government Coalition's third annual D.C. Open
Government Summit will focus on open government in neighborhoods and
communities. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the National Press Club. The
event is open to the public; registration and information are available on the
coalition'swebsite.

Thursday, March 20

The Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) will host a panel
discussion on lobbying disclosure, campaign finance disclosure, and dark money
at the American Bar Association in Washington,
D.C. The program will be held
from 2-5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Registration and
additional details are available via CRP'swebsite.

Friday, March 21

JFK Vigil will screen the filmJFK:
A President Betrayedat the
Goethe-Institute in Washington,
D.C. A discussion of the film
will be held following the screening. The suggested donation is $15, and
registration and additional information are availablehere.

In 2011, theReporters
Committee for Freedom of the Pressjoined
ASNE as a national co-coordinator of Sunshine Week, enabling the organizations
to join forces and resources to produce Toolkit materials for participants and
keep the website and social media sites engaged.

Sunshine Week seeks to enlighten and
empower people to play an active role in their government at all levels, and to
give them access to information that makes their lives better and their
communities stronger.

Participants include news media,
government officials at all levels, schools and universities, libraries and
archives, individuals, non-profit and civic organizations, historians and
anyone with an interest in open government.

Everyone can be a part of Sunshine Week.
Our coalition of supporters is broad and deep. And individual participation can
make all the difference, as evidenced by our Local Heroes awards.

The only requirement is that you do
something to engage in a discussion about the importance of open government. It
could be a large public forum or a classroom discussion, an article or series
of articles about access to important information, or an editorial.

VisitSunshineweek.orgfor more about what you can do to get
involved. Also find a list of and links to articles and editorials about and in
recognition of Sunshine Week 2013 and the events and observances that are being
held in the states atSunshine
Week 2013 News, which we will update throughout Sunshine Week.

Celebrating
Sunshine Week 2013

CALENDAR

Thursday,
March 7, 2013 16:14

Sunshine Week, a
nationwide initiative highlighting the importance of open government and
accountability, will be held this year from March 10-16. Created by journalists
in 2002, Sunshine Week is designed to educate people on their right to access
public information in understandable, user-friendly formats to participate more
effectively in democracy and to use such information to protect and improve
their communities.

Sunshine Week coincides with James Madison's birthday on March 16.Madison is considered the
"Founding Father of Freedom of Information."

During the week, news media, government
officials, educational institutions, libraries, nonprofit organizations,
individuals, and anyone with an interest in open and transparent government can
take part in a variety ofevents and activities.
Shedding new light on the latest developments in freedom of government
information, these events will include conferences, panel discussions, and
workshops. Here are some notable events that will take place in Washington, D.C.,
throughout the week:

Monday, March 11

The Department of Justice willcelebratesignificant improvements in Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) mandatory practices over the last four years. At 10
a.m., Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West and agency representatives
will spotlight examples of success achieved by a number of agencies in areas
addressed by the Justice Department's FOIA guidelines.

The National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA), together with the Office of Government Information
Services (OGIS), will hosttwo back-to-back eventsat the National Archives. At 1 p.m.,
Archivist David Ferriero and OGIS Director Miriam Nisbet will discuss the
importance of FOIA and display the original Freedom of Information Act, which
celebrates its 47th birthday this year. At 1:45 p.m., agency staff will
demonstrateFOIAonline, a new
multi-agency FOIA portal designed to streamline the FOIA process for both
agencies and requesters.

Tuesday, March 12

The Center for Effective Government and the
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)will host two panel discussionsbeginning at 1 p.m. on the consistent
implementation of open government policies and the reduction of national security-related
secrecy. The panels will feature open government experts, administration
officials, and congressional staff.Click for more details and to RSVPfor this free event.

The Congressional Transparency Caucus is
hosting a panel focusing on recent progress on FOIA reform and what more needs
to be done to improve public access to government records, at 3 p.m. in Room
2203 of the RayburnHouseOfficeBuilding. This event will
bring together FOIA experts including OGIS Director Miriam Nisbet; Rick Blum,
Coordinator at the Sunshine in Government Initiative; Gavin Baker, Open
Government Policy Analyst at the Center for Effective Government; and Richard
Pollock, Investigative Reporter at the Washington Examiner. The discussion will
be moderated by the Sunlight Foundation’s Policy Counsel, Daniel Schuman.

Wednesday, March 13

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in
Washington (CREW) will put togethertwo panel discussionsat the GeorgeWashingtonUniversityLawSchool from 10 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. The discussions will examine whether the government is justified in
keeping secret the opinions drawn up by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) to
justify policies including extraordinary rendition, the use of torture, and the
killing of Americans abroad.

At 10 a.m. the Senate Judiciary Committee will
hold ahearinglooking at the OPEN Government Act and
freedom of information issues in the DirksenSenateOfficeBuilding. The Center for
Effective Government's Director of Open Government Policy, Sean Moulton, will
testify. Government witnesses will include Melanie Pustay, director of the
Office of Information Policy at the Department of Justice, and OGIS Director
Miriam Nisbet.

The D.C. Open Government Coalition will
present its second annualDC Open Government Summitfrom 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and will
share results of its recent survey of meetings across dozens of D.C. boards and
commissions to see if they complied with open government guidelines. The summit
will convene such experts as Robert Spagnoletti, chairman of the newly
established Board of Ethics and Government Accountability; D.C. Council
Chairman Phil Mendelson (D); and David Zvenyach, general counsel to the D.C.
Council.

Thursday, March 14

The BrennanCenter
for Justice presents apanel discussionon the future of classification reform
and the broader implications for our national security system. Panelists will
include Nancy Soderberg, chair of the Public Interest Declassification Board;
J. William Leonard, former Director of the Information Security Oversight
Office; Steven Aftergood, director of the Project on Government Secrecy; and
Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Brennan Center's Liberty and National Security
Program. The discussion will take place at Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace from noon to 1:30 p.m.

The Cato Institute is hosting a two-dayWikipedia and Legislative Data
Workshopthat explores
ways of using legislative data to enhance Wikipedia. The first session, from
2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., is designed for people of all technical skill levels
and will cover Wikipedia editing and policy. Participants are encouraged to
bring a laptop. Friday's daylong workshop will convene experts in government
transparency and Wikipedia editorial processes and decisions.

The National Press Club will offer apanel discussion,
moderated by Club president Rick Dunham (of theHouston Chronicle), on
how to use FOIA to obtain information in the course of investigative work.
Panelists include Randy Rabinowitz, Director of Regulatory Policy for the
Center for Effective Government; Charles Babcock, Editor at Bloomberg News; and
Bill Allison, Editorial Director at the Sunlight Foundation.

Friday, March 15

The FirstAmendmentCenter,
OpenTheGovernment.org, the Project On Government Oversight, and the Reporters
Committee for Freedom of the Press will celebrate the15th annual Freedom of Information
Dayat the Newseum.
Several experts, including the Center for Effective Government's Director of
Open Government Policy, Sean Moulton, will discuss open government issues such
as fiscal transparency, FOIA, and disclosure of special interest influence.
During the event, the American Library Association will announce the recipient
of the 2013 James Madison
Award that honors individuals protecting and promoting public access to
government information.

Monday, March 18

The Collaboration on Government Secrecy at AmericanUniversity's Washington College of Law
will host its sixth annual celebration ofFreedom of Information Day.
From 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., leading experts will discuss issues including the
legislative outlook for open government and the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme
Court's decision inMilner v.
Department of the Navy.